LongHorn Steakhouse - 5 stars
Location/Parking: Conveniently located on Bell Road just west of Litchfield Road in Surprise. Easy access in and out and plenty of parking.
Atmosphere: Casual and laid back. Nice décor. Relaxed and unrushed environment.
Cleanliness: No issues. Clean glasses and silverware. Bar counter and tabletops were tidy.
Service: Outstanding. We were greeted with a smile when we entered and we were asked if we wanted a table or to sit in the bar. We chose the bar (shocking). It was 4:30 on a Wednesday so it wasn't overly crowded and we pretty much had the bar to ourselves. Our bartender was John and he was totally cool. We got our drinks and water right away while we looked over the happy hour menu. He answered all of our questions and made several excellent recommendations.
Food/Drinks: We had the house Cabernet, a very drinkable little number for just $4. We tried the Shrimp & Avocado Stack ($5) and the Spicy Chicken Bites ($4). Both were really good and I would order them again. In fact, we did order a second plate of the Spicy Chicken Bites. Yep. I would have licked the plate clean had the bartender not been within visual range. We didn't have time to try an actual entrée but the apps we had were worth a 5-star rating.
Happy Hour: Decent happy hour menu selection. Available Monday-Friday 4-7pm. $5 cosmos/margaritas/mojitos/martinis, $4 house wines, and $3 pint draft beers.
Price: Reasonable. Nice enough to take a date on Friday night but not so ritzy that you have to change out of your jeans.
Note: I heard that when the place first opened in spring 2013, the lines were long and the wait was ridiculous. Many people were unhappy and miserable by the time they got seated. Keep in mind that has an impact on the review. If you came to LongHorn in spring 2013 when they first opened and were disappointed, please give them another try. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit last night and will definitely be returning soon.